Bandawe drags MCP to court over election U-turn in contentious Dedza East primaries

Patrick Bandawe, who was declared winner of the Dedza East Malawi Congress Party (MCP) primary elections before the party reversed the decision and declared Juliana Lunguzi winner has threatened the party with a lawsuit if it does not adequately explain the reason for its decision.

Bandawe: I am not taking it lying down

The country’s oldest political grouping on Sunday conducted primary elections in Dedza East Constituency.

According to a statement released by the party on Monday, the presiding team of the elections were Peter Mazizi, Peter Chalera MP, Gerald Banda and Luwanisa Chapora.

“At the end of the exercise, the Presiding Officer, going by the number of votes shared between two candidates, declared Mr. Patrick Bandawe the winner. However, an independent enquiry by the Directorate of Elections has established that there were more than two contestants, yet the figures for the others have not been reported, which is irregular,” reads the statement, signed by MCP Publicity Secretary Reverend Maurice Munthali.

“Further, we have established that a candidate in that race, having received votes that were insufficient for a victory, is alleged to have yielded the votes his supporters cast for him to another candidate, which is not only irregular, but is unethical and a serious breach of party conduct. The Directorate of Elections therefore recommended that that candidate be disqualified and his votes discounted together with the figures of the declared winner who was a primary beneficiary of the violation,” the party says.

It concludes: “For this reason, it is the resolution of the party that Juliana Lunguzi is the legitimate winner of the Dedza East Primaries, not only because she had the votes to win before other candidates colluded to manipulate the process, but also because our investigations show that she had no part in the collusion.”

However, in a statement also released on Monday, Bandawe accused the party of taking a partisan stand after it made a decision based on only one side of the story as it has not heard his side.

“Why has the party made the decision based on only one side of the story? While they have listened to Hon. Lunguzi’s version of events, the party has not yet made an attempt to hear me out. As I issue this press statement, on Monday 4pm, the party has made no effort to reach out to me. What kind of justice is this?

“If the party felt there were irregularities during the polls, the option was to declare the elections null and void and order a re-run. What prophetic basis is the MCP using to determine that Hon. Lunguzi would have won had the 31 areas had taken part in the election,” he said.

Bandawe also disputed the party’s claim that he benefitted from the delegates after one candidate, upon realising that he was losing, asked his delegates to vote for the other candidates.

“It is indeed true that some of those delegates joined my queue. But some of them also joined Hon Lunguzis queue. So why is the party only punishing me,” he said.

Bandawe has given the party 24 hours to rectify the issue, failing which he will seek legal redress.

“I need clarification from MCP Headquarters why they rejected the results by a Presiding Officer who it sent all the way from Lilongwe to conduct the elections. Does this not defeat the ends of both democracy and justice?

“I request the party to provide me with an explanation within the next 24 hours about how it decided to declare Hon. Lunguzi as winner of the elections despite results of the vote, as confirmed at the constituency level and by the Presiding Officer who was duly assigned and trusted by the party HQ. I will be forced to seek legal redress if the party does not address this matter, especially in view of the fact that the party seemed to have settled on the winner long before the elections and it is determined to ensure this dream is not disrupted.”

University of Livingstonia (Unilia) political scientist George Phiri described the conduct of the primaries, which had failed on two previous occasions, as pathetic.

MCP should get rid of the present presiding officers, employ another faithful team to conduct the elections fairly. These officers have been bought by UTM and DPP to kill our mighty party. We want Juliana, Jessie, Chiphiko to lead their constituencies

i think nanu simunawanvese anabandawa. the issue here is about the right to be heard. bandawe was not given an opportunity to explain his side. if he goes to court mcp will lose this case am telling u today if what bandawe is saying is true. the problem is that if we cant promote democratic principles withi the party we should not expect that once they go into govt they will start practising democracy. i would like to encourage malawians irespective of our party affilations to ensure that their intra party democracy in our political parties others we will fail… Read more »

These people were after Juliana and Jesse Kabwira. We saw it coming. These crooked people are being sponsored by dpp and utm who want to take these powerful women on board. MCP let’s stand by these strong women including Khunbize Kandodo. Utm is very desperate and please don’t listen to what call themselves political experts like one at Chancol and Livingstonia. They talk nonsense.

Vote Up0Vote Down

1 year ago

Guest

Mwana Pumbwa

I agree… Thindwa is DPP and I dont know why ZBC like him…..he is boring and ZBC is becoming boring..

Zodiak inali kale…

Vote Up0Vote Down

1 year ago

Guest

Toka

If u managed to buy the so-called presiding officers don’t think u will apply the same to the judges or magistrates Mr. Bandawe. My mighty MCP would u please first of all punish or discipline Peter Mazizi and his friends who presided over these primary elections for denting the good image of the party by flouting party’s conduct and came up with fake results. Why didn’t they disqualify those other candidates who had withdrawn from the race at the time of elections together with their supporters to take part in voting? These people have brought shame to ur party. Next… Read more »

Vote Up2Vote Down

1 year ago

Guest

mark

KKKKKK EEEEIIISH >>>>>>>MCP IS NOW A HOT CAKE…..PEOPLE SCRUMBLING TO STAND ON MCP TICKET>>>

Can someone carry for me this msg to MCP. We need quick updates/uploads of you tube videos for rallies like utm does. I’ve searching for BT rally on you tube since the rally was held on Sunday but nothing. MCP people please be on top o f your game! Love Dr Laz! God bless Dr Laz! MCP bola 2019.

Vote Up1Vote Down

1 year ago

Guest

Nacho

Osadandaula naye munthuyi. Musiyeni apite ku khothi. He is in big financial trouble at the moment and looking for a lawyer to get into more trouble. I keep on saying we need servant leadership and not winning at any cost. From what am told, the other candidate already pocketed money from Bandawe. Kicks of a dying horse. Tso pompano mumva kuti wakalowa – ngongole!!!!

Inunso kulankhula ngati oduka mutu atola nkhani akukamba zimene zachitika kapena mwina akunama i thought bandawe won in the first results and lost in the second one meaning something is wrong which you need to rectufy as mcp instead of wasting time meantioning utm and other parties.Stick to the issue at hand baba.

Vote Up0Vote Down

1 year ago

Guest

Agenda Setting Theory

No they are not. They are setting their own agenda

Vote Up1Vote Down

1 year ago

Guest

Mbava Takana APM UTM

Dont be blind brother….we follow them. we know what we are saying…some Journalists hv their own interests…..azimbwita chonchi…..its bad for them to hv two contradicting stories in hours…then another day say way….very bad legacy…..
Away with this…..tisova…

Sorry bwana bandawe mwaononga zambiri kuhonga Augustine chidzanja the Governor but constituents have spoken-they want the much educated and stable Lunguzi, politically to lead them. They know last time you represented PP in the same constituency and failed miserably.Inu, mwawa and gerald ku salima want to become MPs not to save the pipo but alleviate your poverty…you are all deep in debts…MCP will this time fair badly in the lakeshore region because greed has taken center stage.

Vote Up0Vote Down

1 year ago

Guest

Wathuwathu JL

U still had PP in u… MCP did well to be patient.. MCP sipupuluma….u had 5000 pp votes and JL had 19,000